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| Hiking | 11.11 Miles |
1,319 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.11 Miles | 5 Hrs 19 Mns | | 2.30 mph |
| 1,319 ft AEG | 29 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | In the past, I have tended to be lukewarm to this area and really only sought if for dog walks, or social hikes. However, some healthy monsoons from the night before turned this area into a water wonderland and I may have just had my best hiking experience to date up there. This hike was just what I needed to fall back in love with AZ hiking again!
Jackie and I camped on the rim the night before and endured some pretty nice storms in the back of the Xterra until sometime after midnight, but is proved to be worth it, as we awoke to those unique post-storm conditions that have that ability to transform an area so much that it almost seems foreign. There were dramatic clouds, ephemeral flows everywhere and water literally spewing from the saturated face of the rim. John and Chumley met us near camp and we were off for the short road walk needed to commence our loop. We chose a less rugged bypass of the first mile of Bear Canyon, but later learned it was not needed as the hiking was easy within the canyon and the fire damage minimal. After meeting back up with Chumley, we continued the rest of the loop together. There were really no dull portions to this hike and it never go overly difficult for us, or the dogs. We all marveled at the amount of water along the way and the dogs may have reached some level of nirvana, in terms of the swimming opportunities and frantic squirrel chases. We did not run into any other hikers until the last couple of miles, but the trailhead was busy with campers and the walk up 300 was a little annoying with three unleashed dogs and all of the traffic.
A big thanks to Chumley for putting this variation of the Cabin Loop together and for getting permission from the local trail steward (@toughboots) to complete the loop. I can't think of too many better ways, or better company to mourn my transition into the mid-30s with. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
